July 12

Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.—Romans 5:20.

If man had been only restored to his forfeited rights, to the enjoyment of the same happiness which was lost, his first state were most desirable; and it had been greater goodness to have preserved him innocent, than to recover him from ruin. As he that preserves his friend from falling into the hands of the enemy, by interposing between him and danger, in the midst of the combat, delivers him in a more noble manner, than by paying a ransom for him after many days spent in woeful captivity: and that the physician is more excellent in his art, who prevents diseases, and keeps the body in health and vigor, than another that expels them by sharp remedies. But the grace of the gospel hath so much mended our condition, that if it were offered to our choice, either to enjoy the innocent state of Adam, or the renewed state by Christ, it were folly like that of our first parents, to prefer the former before the latter. The jubilee of the law restored to the same inheritance; but the jubilee of the gospel gives us the investiture of that which is transcendently better than that which we at first possessed. Since the day-spring from on high hath visited us in tender mercy, we are enriched with higher prerogatives, and are under a better covenant, and entitled to a more glorious reward, than was due to man by the law of his creation.

Human nature is raised to a higher degree of honor, than if man had continued in his innocent state.

1. By its intimate union with the Son of God. He assumed it as the fit instrument of our redemption, and preferred it before the nature of angels, which surpassed man's in his primitive state. The fullness of the God-head dwells in our Redeemer bodily. From hence it is, that the angels descended to pay him homage at his birth, and attended his majesty in his disguise. The Son of Man hath those titles which are above the dignity of any mere creature; he is king of the church, and judge of the world; he exercises divine power, and receives divine praise. Briefly, the human nature in our Redeemer is an associate with the Divine; and being made a little lower than the angels for a time, is now advanced far above all principalities and powers.

2. In all those who are partakers of grace and glory by the Lord Jesus. Adam was the son of God by creation, but to be joined to Christ as our Head by a union so intimate, that he lives in us, and counts himself incomplete without us, and by that union to be adopted into the line of heaven, and thereby to have an interest in the exceeding great and precious promises of the gospel; to be constituted heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ, are such discoveries of the dignity of our supernatural state, that the lowest believer is advanced above Adam in all his honor. Nay, the angels, though superior to man in the excellency of their nature, yet are accidentally lower by the honor of our alliance: their King is our brother. And this relative dignity which seems to eclipse their glory, might excite their envy; but such an ingenious goodness dwells in those pure and blessed spirits, that they rejoice in our restoration and advancement.

To this I shall add, that as the Son of God hath a special relation to man, so the most tender affections for him. To illustrate this by a sensible instance: angels and men are as two different nations in language and customs, but under the same Empire; and if a Prince that commands two nations should employ one for the safety and prosperity of the other, it were an argument of special favor. Now the angels are sent forth to minister for them who are heirs of salvation. Besides in two other things the peculiar affection of the Prince would be most evident to that nation. 1. If he put on their habit, and attire himself according to their fashion. 2. If he fixed his residence among them. Now the Son of God was clothed with our flesh, and found in fashion as a man, and for ever appears in it in heaven; and will at the last day invest our bodies with glory like to his own. He now dwells in us by his Spirit, and when our warfare is accomplished, he shall in a special manner be present with us in the eternal mansions. As God incarnate he conversed with men on earth, and as such he will converse with them in heaven. There he reigns as the First-born in the midst of many brethren. Now all these prerogatives are the fruits of our redemption, evincing, how, where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

How great then is that mercy which hath raised mankind more glorious out of its ruins! The apostle breaks out with a heavenly astonishment, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! That we who are strangers and enemies, children of wrath by nature, should be dignified with the honorable and amiable title of his sons! It was a rare and most merciful condescension in Pharaoh's daughter, to rescue an innocent and forsaken infant from perishing by the waters, and adopt him to be her son; but how much greater kindness was it for God to save guilty and wretched man from eternal flames, and to take him into his family? The ambition of the prodigal rose no higher than to be a servant; what an inestimable favor is it to make us children!

When God would express the most dear and peculiar affection to Solomon, he saith, I will be his Father, and he shall be my son. This was the highest honor he could promise; and all believers are dignified with it. It is the same relation that Christ hath. When he was going to heaven, he comforted his disciples with these words, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. There is indeed a diversity in the foundation of it: Christ is a Son by nature, we are by mere favor; he is by generation, we are by adoption. Briefly, Jesus Christ hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father. These are the highest offices upon earth, and were attended with the most conspicuous honor; and the Holy Spirit chose those bright images, to convey a clearer notice of the glory to which our Redeemer hath raised us. Not only all the crowns and sceptres in this perishing world are infinitely beneath this dignity, but the honor of our innocent state was not equal to it.

"O how shall I thy goodness tell, Father, which thou to me hast show'd? That I, a child of wrath and bell, I should be call'd a child of God, Should know, should feel my sins forgiven, Blest with the antepast of heaven."